Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

With its petrified redwood stumps and fossil-rich soils, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is one of the more unique and lesser known of Colorado’s National Parks Service Sites.

What is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument?

Colorado is a state packed with a wide variety of nature destinations. In addition to four US National Parks - Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and Mesa Verde National Park - there are 13 additional National Park Service Sites. They’re all worthy of a visit, but one that stands apart as particularly unique.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a quiet off-the-beaten-path destination that isn’t at the top of many lists for the best places to visit in Colorado. That’s probably because it’s a bit tucked away in a remote location, and in comparison doesn’t get as much social media or, well, any media exposure outside of its general locale.

Turning back the clock to 1890, this place was a hotbed of tourist activity and was promoted as a world-class wonder by private owners until 1969 when it was established as a National Monument by President Richard Nixon. The famous Walt Disney even bought the remains of a tree from one of the parks here back in 1956 that is still on display at Disneyland in California.

Located in Florissant, a small community about 1 hour’s drive west of Colorado Springs, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is home to several petrified redwood stumps and a rich array of fossils from at least 1 billion years ago when Florissant Valley was a volatile volcanic basin.

History of Florissant Fossil Beds

The timeline around the formation of the landscape around Florissant Fossil Beds is truly fascinating. The earliest dates stretch back to around 1.08 billion years ago when Pikes Peak Granite, a pinkish-red and gray granite formed throughout this area. The Rocky Mountains as we know them today formed around 40-70 million years ago by comparison.

The activity at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument responsible for its rich fossil beds happened closer to 37 million years ago when a series of volcanoes known as the Guffey volcanic center erupted, dramatically altering the landscape and eventually forming a large lake.

Around 34 million years ago volcanic ash and debris flowed and settled into an ancient lake that is long gone today. Layers of ash, mud, and clay covered the base of the redwoods standing in the valley at the time, ultimately preserving them and countless other fossils for millions of years to come.

Several petrified redwood trees that are around 34 million years old are just some of the fossils you can see at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Historic Fossil Collecting at the Florissant Fossil Beds

In the late 1880s rail travel brought tourists to Florissant, helping launch it as a world-famous destination for not just fossil collectors but those who would come to see its famous petrified forest.

Notable biologist Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell, aka T.D.A Cockerell, was a University of Colorado zoology professor from 1904 to 1934 and completed field research at the site between 1906 and 1908. He published thousands of research papers over his career, including 134 on his research at the Fossil Beds.

Petrified Forest Attraction

Two landowners opened competing properties in 1922 and 1924, The Coplen Petrified Forest and Henderson Petrified Forest, respectively. These two original attractions changed hands once more, operating up until the National Monument was established in the late 60s. The Coplen Petrified Forest became the Colorado Petrified Forest, operating for over four decades, and Henderson’s Petrified Forest became Pike Petrified Forest and operated under that new name for just over one decade.

The 1878 Hornbek Homestead that was once owned by Adeline Hornbek is one of many sites visitors can tour when visiting Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Hornbeck Homestead at Florissant Fossil Beds

On a wide open meadow sits the Hornbeck Homestead, built in 1878 and once owned by Adeline Hornbeck, a Massachusetts-born woman who eventually relocated to Florissant after her first husband died and the second abandoned her. Known as a strong pioneer, she was one of the first women to file for a homesteading claim just after Colorado was established as a state, and she was also among the first women to vote legally in Colorado.

Pikes Peak is seen in the distance from several vantage points within Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

What Can You Expect When Visiting Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and Key Spots to Not Miss

Visiting Florissant Fossil Beds is unlike visiting many other NPS sites in Colorado. Unlike the larger national parks and their massive crowds, the Fossil Beds are quiet and moderately attended, making for a very serene experience.

We’ve been here many times, and it never gets old. Realistically, you could see the Visitors Center and complete both hikes below within 3-4 hours total at a leisurely pace.

Key Spots to See While Visiting:

→ Visitors Center - A must-see stop to fully understand how unique the area is, its volcanic history, and an unbelievably impressive collection of fossils that are millions of years old.

→ Petrified Forrest Loop - A easy 1.1-mile loop trail that allows you to view the petrified redwood stumps, including the famous “Big Stump” pictured below. The trail travels through an area known as the beds of ancient Lake Florissant, and there are several informational signs along the way to help you know what you’re looking at.

→ Hornbeck Wildlife Loop - A moderate 3.6-mile loop trail that crosses the Petrified Forrest Loop and allows visitors to see surrounding terrain and wildlife.

Big Stump

After it was excavated by local residents in the late 1800s, this huge redwood tree stump known as “Big Stump” became a major attraction for tourists. Before it was its base was buried by volcanic mud 34 million years ago, this ancient redwood might have reached 230 feet in height.

Hornbek Wildlife Loop Trail looking westward within Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Hiking Trails at Florissant Fossil Beds

There are over 14 miles of hiking trails within the National Monument. Our favorite is Hornbeck Wildlife Loop because it pretty much allows you to see the key features of the park along with the surrounding scenery. You’ll also want to take the Petrified Forest Loop, which you’ll cross along the way, which is the smaller loop shown in the trail map below. So you get two really cool loops in one - bonus!

As a first-time visitor to the park, you can stop in at the Visitor’s Center and head clockwise or westward on the trail which will also take you through the ancient forest, through a wooded area, and north to the Hornbeck Homestead. Then simply cross Teller County 1 and continue east until the trail loops back around to where you began.

Note that the majority of the elevation gain is actually on the east side of Teller County 1, so if you’re not up for it, you could simply hike to the Homestead and back and make it more of an out-and-back trail. But if you have the time, hiking the entire Hornbek loop is well worth it.

How to Get to Florissant Fossil Beds

The Fossil Beds are a great destination and side trip when visiting Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Eleven Mile Canyon, Lake George, Cripple Creek, or Woodland Park.

From Colorado Springs, it’s about a 1-hour drive to get to Florissant, and the Fossil Beds are clearly marked from US-24 which is most likely the road you’ll be taking to get here.

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